Top 10 Must-See Korean Assassin Movies

The City of Madness tells the story of a corrupt investigator secretly aiding the city's mayor in carrying out criminal acts and shady business dealings. This gritty crime thriller brings together a star-studded cast from South Korea, featuring intense, high-stakes moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

As the story progresses, a principled prosecutor digs deeper into the corruption, uncovering a dark web of violence and injustice perpetrated by officials at all levels. Will the truth ever come to light in this twisted tale of power and greed? The City of Madness keeps audiences guessing from start to finish.

Director: Kim Sung Soo

Cast: Hwang Jung Min, Kwak Do Won, Jung Woo Sung

Runtime: 132 minutes

Release Year: 2022

If you're in the mood for a mind-bending assassin thriller, look no further than Mouse, with its jaw-dropping plot twists. This action-packed series, set in 2021, takes place in a world where it's possible to detect a fetus’s psychopathic gene even before birth. Children with this gene could either become geniuses or ruthless serial killers.

The series follows the hunt for a serial killer who terrorizes the city, with Lee Seung Gi portraying Jung Ba Reum, a police officer who himself harbors the dangerous genetic mutation. Will he prove to be a brilliant detective, or will he succumb to his dark instincts as a killer? Expect thrilling, edge-of-your-seat drama across 16 gripping episodes.

Director: Choi Joon Bae

Cast: Lee Seung Gi, Lee Hee Joon, Park Ju Hyun, Kyung Soo Jin

Episodes: 20

Release Year: 2021

IMDb Rating: 8.7

Taxi Driver Season 2 is currently one of the most highly anticipated assassin-themed dramas, with astonishingly high ratings. Viewers are captivated by the unpredictable twists and the constant tension that keeps everyone on edge.

The show follows the Rainbow Taxi Company, a unique service that offers vengeance for those who feel the justice system has failed them. The operation is led by Jang Sung Chul (played by Kim Eui Sung), with Kim Do Ki (Lee Je Hoon) as the elite taxi driver, Go Eun (Pyo Ye Jin) as a hacker, and two quirky engineers who are surprisingly skilled. As they continuously evade powerful figures in society, this team of avengers tracks down criminals who have escaped the law to deliver precise retribution for their victims.

Director: Lee Dan

Cast: Lee Je Hoon, Kim Eui Sung, Pyo Ye Jin, Jang Hyuk Jin, Bae Yoo Ram, Shin Jae Ha

Episodes: 16

Release Year: 2023

My Name consists of 8 action-packed episodes, filled with brutal violence and a dark color palette dominated by red (symbolizing blood) and black (representing the night). The story follows Yoon Ji Woo, a young woman whose father, a notorious criminal leader, is assassinated. Shunned by her peers and expelled from school, her world unravels as she witnesses her father’s murder by a mysterious figure wearing a hood.

Driven by anger and desperation, Ji Woo embarks on a dangerous journey for revenge. With the police unwilling to help, she ventures into the city's dark underbelly to search for clues. Assisted by Choi Mu Jin, a powerful gang leader and close friend of her father, she survives the encounter and hones her combat skills. Her thirst for revenge leads her into the police force, where she plays a double game, confronting enemies on both sides of the law.

Director: Kim Jin Min

Cast: Han So Hee, Ahn Bo Hyun, Park Hee Soon, Kim Sang Ho, Lee Hak Joo, Jang Yool

Episodes: 8

Release Year: 2021

Island is a supernatural thriller adapted from the webtoon of the same name, set on the mysterious Jeju Island. The story introduces a terrifying world where lustful demons threaten to break free and wreak havoc on humanity. Lee Da Hee plays Won Mi Ho, a spoiled heiress from a wealthy family whose arrogance and selfishness lead to a grave mistake that infuriates her father, resulting in her exile to Jeju Island.

There, she is assigned as an ethics teacher at a local high school, unaware that the island is infested with evil spirits. As Mi Ho becomes relentlessly pursued by these demons, she struggles to understand why she’s being targeted. During one such attack, she’s saved by Van (Kim Nam Gil), a man on a mission to eradicate those possessed by the demons. Island delivers an eerie atmosphere and high-stakes action that will keep viewers hooked from the very first episode.

Director: Bae Jong

Cast: Kim Nam Gil, Lee Da Hee, Cha Eun Woo, Sung Joon, Go Doo Shim, Park Geun Hyung

Episodes: 6

Release Year: 2022

Time to Hunt is a thrilling South Korean assassin film directed by Yoon Sung Hyun, featuring a talented cast including Lee Je Hoon, Park Jung Min, Choi Woo Sik, and Ahn Jae Hong. Set during South Korea's most severe financial crisis, the film is packed with tension and suspense as the characters fight for survival.

The protagonist, Jun Seok, is a man recently released from a three-year prison sentence. Now facing a new crisis, he is desperate to escape the harsh realities of a crumbling South Korea. To secure a better future, he teams up with his friends Jang Ho and Ki Hoon to execute a daring heist on a casino. What was meant to be a perfect getaway spirals into chaos as they become the targets of a notorious assassin who is determined to hunt them down.

Director: Yoon Sung Hyun

Cast: Lee Je Hoon, Ahn Jae Hong, Choi Woo Shik, Park Jung Min, Park Hae Soo, Lee Hang Na

Runtime: 134 minutes

Release Year: 2020

Hitman: Agent Joon follows the story of an orphaned boy with a talent for drawing comics and an uncanny ability to fight. He is recruited by the elite Deok-gyoo team into a secret assassin program run by the NIS to become one of their deadliest operatives. After years of completing missions flawlessly, Joon’s life takes a turn when he fakes his own death to escape the violent world of assassination.

Fifteen years later, Joon is living a quiet life in Busan under a new identity, working as a comic artist, though his works receive little attention. After a drunken night, Joon draws a series based on his past life as a hitman. His wife, Mina, submits the drawings to a publishing company, and they surprisingly become a hit with readers. However, trouble begins when the NIS discovers Joon’s whereabouts. Despite his best efforts, Joon is eventually caught by the agents.

Director: Won Sub Choi

Cast: Hwang Woo Seul Hye, Kwon Sang Woo, Jung Joon Ho, Lee Yi Kyung

Runtime: 110 minutes

Release Year: 2020

Hunt is set in the 1980s during the National Security Plan, following two high-ranking agents from the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Pyong Ho and Jung Do. They are tasked with uncovering a mole within their organization. Pyong Ho, who runs the foreign intelligence department, and Jung Do, who leads the domestic intelligence division, engage in a battle of wits, even beginning to suspect each other, all while facing intense action scenes.

The film’s atmosphere is tense and claustrophobic, as mistrust and paranoia grow within the Korean intelligence service. Pyong Ho is portrayed as a serious and relentless agent, while Jung Do is shown as fierce and ruthless. Although both men share the same goal of protecting the president and identifying the spy, the secrets of their past and their future ambitions are key to determining their fates.

Director: Lee Jung Jae

Cast: Lee Jung Jae, Jung Woo Sung, Jeon Hye Jin, Heo Sung Tae, Go Youn Jung, Kim Jong Soo

Runtime: 125 minutes

Release Year: 2022

Beyond Evil tells the gripping story of two determined detectives, each willing to risk everything to solve a decades-old case. Lee Dong Sik, once a brilliant detective, has been demoted to a dull and tedious role at the Manyang Police Station. He soon crosses paths with Han Joo Won, a highly skilled detective from a prestigious background, who is transferred to Manyang and becomes Dong Sik’s superior. Despite their differences, the two detectives join forces to uncover the truth behind a series of brutal murders that have remained unsolved for 20 years.

The series received widespread acclaim, with Beyond Evil earning seven nominations at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards, including wins for Best Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor for Shin Ha-kyun. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Grand Prize at the Baeksang Arts Awards in the Television category.

Director: Shim Na-yeon

Cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Yeo Jin-gu, Sung-eun Choi

Episodes: 16

Release Year: 2021

IMDb: 8.2

Memorist follows Dong Baek, a high school student who unexpectedly gains supernatural abilities. With a mere touch, he can read the memories of others. After revealing his gift, Dong Baek becomes a detective, using his power to solve cases and bring criminals to justice. However, his journey takes a dark turn when he stumbles upon a mysterious series of murders.

Quickly becoming one of the most talked-about crime dramas of 2020, Memorist is based on the popular Daum webtoon by Jae Hoo, capturing viewers with its unique premise and gripping storytelling.

Director: Kim Whee, Oh Seung-yeol, So Jae-hyun

Cast: Yoo Seung-ho, Se-yeong Lee, Chang-Seok Ko

Episodes: 16

Release Year: 2020

IMDb: 7.7